This simple 4-ingredient chocolate cherry dump cake uses dry brownie mix and a clever butter technique to create a fudgy, crackly chocolate topping with no dry patches — no mixing required.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This easy chocolate cherry dump cake is ideal for Valentine’s Day or any time you crave a quick chocolate dessert. It pairs sweet cherry pie filling with a rich, buttery brownie-style topping made from dry brownie mix and cold butter.
If you’ve ever baked a dump cake that came out with dry, powdery areas or greasy butter pools, this method fixes those problems without adding steps or extra ingredients. The result is a crispy, evenly baked chocolate topping and bubbling cherry filling every time.
Ingredients + Notes
- 16–18 oz box fudge brownie mix (16.3 oz recommended) — use the dry mix as-is; do not add the ingredients from the box or use any syrup pouch that may be included.
- 2 (21 oz) cans cherry pie filling (42 oz total) — pie filling has the right texture and sweetness to balance the brownie topping.
- 2 sticks cold butter — cold butter is easier to slice thinly for even coverage.
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips — semi-sweet adds a pleasant balance; milk chocolate works too if you prefer it sweeter.
Additions & Substitutions
- For crunch, sprinkle ½ cup chopped pecans over the brownie mix before adding butter.
- Swap the cherry pie filling for strawberry, raspberry, or blackberry pie filling for different fruit flavors.
How to Make Cherry Chocolate Dump Cake
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. A higher oven temp helps the top crisp while staying fudgy inside.
- Spread both cans of cherry pie filling evenly in the bottom of the dish, making sure the filling reaches the corners. This moisture prevents dry spots in the topping.
- Sprinkle the dry brownie mix evenly over the cherries. Do not press or stir — keep layers separate so the butter can hydrate the mix while baking.
- Scatter the chocolate chips over the dry brownie mix so they melt into pockets throughout the topping.
- Slice the cold butter into thin ¼-inch slices and distribute the slices across the surface, covering as much of the mix as possible. Even coverage prevents powdery areas.
- Bake uncovered 35–40 minutes, until the top is mostly set and lightly crisp and the filling bubbles at the edges. Check at about 30 minutes and add a small butter slice to any visible dry spots if needed.
- Let the cake rest 15 minutes before serving so the layers set. Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for the best contrast of chocolate and cherry.
Step-by-Step Recipe Video
Leftovers & Storage
Leftovers: Refrigerate covered in an airtight container for up to 3–4 days.
Reheating: Warm individual servings in the microwave for 30–45 seconds.
Freezing: You can freeze the cake, but the topping softens after thawing; for best texture, bake and serve fresh when possible.
Leslie’s Helpful Tips & Tricks
- Do not mix the layers — keep the pie filling, dry brownie mix, chips, and butter separate so they bake into distinct layers.
- If small dry spots appear during the last 10 minutes of baking, carefully move a nearby butter pat over the area or add a tiny extra slice of butter on top.
- Slice the butter as thinly and evenly as possible so it melts and hydrates the dry mix uniformly for a consistent, crackly top.
FAQs
Dry results usually mean the dry mix wasn’t fully covered in fat. Even butter coverage is essential; using brownie mix and thin butter slices reduces dry pockets.
Yes, but cake mix yields a lighter, more cake-like texture and is more prone to drying. Brownie mix gives a fudgier topping.
Sliced cold butter produces a crisp topping; melted butter gives a softer, gooier finish. This recipe works best with sliced butter.
No. Use the brownie mix dry. The butter melts during baking and hydrates the mix to form the topping.
The top should be set and lightly crisp with bubbling around the edges. The center will be soft but not powdery.
Yes, but the topping won’t crisp in a slow cooker. For a crispy top, bake it in the oven.
More Chocolate Cakes
Hot Chocolate Mug Cake-
Strawberry Earthquake Cake
-
Easy Chocolate Tres Leches Cake
-
Easy Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cake
Make this for Valentine’s Day — your sweetheart will love it! If you try it, leave a rating or a comment below to let me know how it turned out.
Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake
Ingredients
- 42 oz cherry pie filling (two 21-oz cans)
- 16.3–18 oz fudge brownie mix (do not prepare)
- 2 sticks cold butter, sliced thin
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Spread both cans of cherry pie filling evenly in the bottom, reaching the corners.
- Sprinkle the dry brownie mix evenly over the filling. Do not stir.
- Evenly sprinkle the chocolate chips over the dry mix.
- Slice the cold butter into ¼-inch slices and arrange them across the surface to cover as much as possible.
- Bake uncovered 35–40 minutes, until the top is lightly crisp and the filling bubbles at the edges. Add a small butter slice to any dry spots if needed.
- Let rest 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- Use a standard 16–18 oz box of brownie mix (not family-size). Do not use the syrup pouch.
- Do not mix the layers—the filling, dry mix, and butter should remain separate while baking.
- Cold butter sliced thin gives the most even coverage and prevents dry patches.
- If dry patches appear near the end of baking, gently redistribute a butter slice over those areas without stirring into the filling.
- The cake is done when the top is set and lightly crisp and the filling is bubbling at the edges. Allow 15 minutes to rest before serving.
Nutrition Facts
Carbohydrates: 66 g
Protein: 3 g
Fat: 26 g